Tambuwal raises the alarm, says shrinking dam has endangered 4m people

Aminu Tambuwal, governor of Sokoto state, says close to four million people in Sokoto and Kebbi states are in danger because the water level in Goronyo dam has shrunk by almost 90 percent.

The dam serves as the primary source of water for residents of the two states in the north-western part of the country.

It is used for domestic use and irrigation purposes.

Speaking when he led officials on an inspection visit to the dam, Tambuwal said the depletion of the dam’s water level was alarming.

“The reservoir of Goronyo Dam was constructed to hold one billion cubic meter of water but as we’ve seen today, the water in it is just about 100 million cubic meters,” he said.

“This has resulted in an inadequate supply of water to our water board and in effect, we had to resort to rationing water to the people. Our farmers are also suffering because the output from this year’s dry season farming will invariably be affected.

“We are urging all stakeholders, especially the federal government, to take the lead in rescuing this important dam considering the number of people that rely on its water for domestic use and income purposes.”

Conducting the governor round the dam site, Buhari Bature, managing director of Sokoto Rima River Basin Development Authority, said the depletion was the worst seen in the dam in over 25 years.

He attributed the problem to shortage of rainfall in 2017, climate change and lack of desilting of the dam.

Bature said the problem has affected water supply to waterboard and irrigation farming in Sokoto and Kebbi.